Laying big flags

[benski662]

i have 64m2 to lay of indian sandstone.
after going into the laying etc a fair bit with the help of this site i am going to wet bed them.
the biggest flag is 600mm x 900mm
is there an easy way to lay this size flag with out dropping it down and the cement flopping up everywhere
there is only me doing this job with the occasional help from the trouble n strif
any hints or techniques would be a help
Cheers
Craig

[bobhughes]

Have a look here, scroll half way down and all will be revealed.

[lutonlagerlout]

another tip that i always use is to lay the big feckers with a 20mm gap (so your fingers can fit then ease them over once they are flat to the correct joint (12-15mm for me)
tbh when you get a 900 by 600 and it is 50mm thick ,then its time to "two" it and get someone to give you a hand,otherwise you will be well stiff or worse in the morning
cheers LLL

[benski662]

thanks for that LLL
ill give it a try and mind me back either that or ill let the wife lay them

[TheVictorianCobbleCo]

For what it's worth, I've laid some of the original huge 50 -80 mm thick slabs on my own, so technique is important - they're so heavy! I used 8 full dabs of mortar, then walk the slab on end to it's resting place. I then rock it onto a spacer about 20mm higher than the settled mortar (from the previously laid slab), (so it is now still standing vertically, resting on the spacer, and me holding the top end steady.) I then lower the opposite end into place, remove the spacer, and am left with the slab generally just high enough for me to wallop it into its level position, with a rubber mallet. Your back is still pretty stuffed at the end of the day, but with this method, quite manageable. It's important to remember to butter all exposed sides before placing the next slab. If done this way, rocking is no longer a problem, as cavities are minimal/virtually non existent. Good luck.

[lutonlagerlout]

[quote]I used 8 full dabs of mortar[quote]
shhhh they might hear you
lol flags that big wont move much anyway due to inertia,but be prepared for a flaming billy if the gaffer hears about it
LLL

[benski662]

you beat me too it LLL not the dabs but a full bed right!

ill probably use a mixture of both ways. i see you did have a pair of busted up toe capped rigger boots LLL i take it you use them as a spacer for resting the slabs on????

ill see how i go and if you hear a scream on Sat morn and a+e at bedford slows down you know iv made a mistake with the load me back can take

thanks for the help
Craig